A. B. Hood Elected Western Pine Assn. Presidenl

Annuol Meeting Urges Sole of Full Governmenl Timber Cut; FHA Accepts New 35heet-Bocrd'

San Francisco-A. B. (Bristow) Hood, general manager of the Ralph L. Smith Lumber Co., Anderson, Calif., has been elected 14th president of the 440-mill member Western Pine Association. He succeeds A. L. Helmer, Polson, Montana, who has led the group for the past two years. Other officers named during the Association's annual meeting here March 9 include James D. Bronson, Cascade Lumber Co., Yakima, Wash., and Percy V. Burke, Sacramento Box and Lumber Co., Sacramento, Calif., both vice presidents; and C. T. Gray, American Forest Products Corp., San Francis.co, treasurer.

E. C. Rettig, Potlatch Forests, Inc., Lewiston, Idaho, and R. A. Murphy, McCloud River Lumber Co., McCloud, Calif., were elected directors at large, with E. J. Bechard, Diamond Match Co., Chico, Calif., and James Bryson, Mt. Emily Lumber Co., Portland, as alternates.

Elected as directors of the National Lumber Manufacturers Assocation were E. C. Olson, Diamond Match Co., Beverly Hills, Calif.; Homer B. Jamison, Byles-Jamison Lumber Co., Fresno, Calif.; W. S. Johnson, American Forest Products Corp., San Francisco, and U. R. Armstrong, Hallack & Howard Lumber Co., Denver. Mr. Helmer was named to the NLMA executive committee. As president, Mr. Hood becomes regional vice-president of NLMA. Mr. Bronson was named to the board of trustees of American Forest Products Industries, Inc.

Prompt salvage of fire and pest-stricken government timber and the sale of full allowable cut of government agency-managed forest lands were urged in actions by the Western Pine Association at its annual meeting. The association member mills draw much of their raw material resource from government lands. A recent survey showed 72/o of. the big 12-state Western Pine region's commercial timberlands are government held. Recently the region's lumber production has averaged about eight billion feet per year, about 27/o of the nation's total softwood output.

A. L. (Lloyd) Helmer, association president and Montana mill operator, declared confidence in the Western Pine industry's abilities and resources to keep it one of the nation's leading industries.

As evidence. it was announced that FHA had accepted the association's laboratory-developed sheathing panel-Sheet-Board-which has been in production for several months by at least one association mill.

And among private forest lands of the region, more than 300 new tree farms were added during the past year, bringing Western Pine tree farm totals to. l,l2l tree farms on more than 6,000,000 acres.

Reporting on the important place the association itself plays in the industry, Secy.-Mgr. S. V. (Van) Fullaway, Jr. noted the organization's employed staff now numbers 89, most of them specially trained for duties in their specific fields.

W. E. Griffee, assistant secretary-manager for the group, said the housing start drop was due to higher price tags on new homes as well as tight money. He suggested that some of the frills will have to go if prices are to attract lower income buyers.

Other action by cluded: the association's board of directors into each state Keep Green Association

1. Contributions within the region.

2. Adjustment of the optional moisture content standards in the association grading rules, and adoption of a rule for the grading of pitch selects.

3. Heard a progress report on an association moulding book publication.

4. Approval of an increased promotional budget to carry on the group's 34-year-old program of advertising and trade promotion.

5. Approval of an increased budget for the group's research activities.

6. Heard the first report of the association's newest standing committee, the safety committee. A safety director was recently appointed to the organization's staff.

Walter M. Leuthold, himself a Western Pine lumberman, reported on national affairs relative to the lumber industry as seen from his post as president of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. He urged lumbermen to follow NLMA's lead in protesting against the huge proposed federal budget.

Charles A. Gillett, managing director of American Forest Products Industries, fnc., noted that a 1956 survey of "what the people think of your industry" showed a continued need for public relations and education.

The association's semi-annual meeting is to be held in Portland in September. The next annual meeting is slated for San Francisco in March 1958.

Mills Expand Kiln-drying Facilities

Kiln-drying capacity of Western Pine Association lumber mills has been increased by 57/o since 1949 to a present high of nearly 17,500,000 board feet daily, a region-wide survey just completed by the asso'ciation reveals. Edwin Knight, lumber seasoning specialist at the Western Pine research laboratory in Portland, said the survey, third in a series started 13 years ago, showed virtual doubling of kiln capacity since 1943 in the l2-state \Mestern Pine legion.

The new study disclosed kiln facilities today to accom-